Somewhere in the Messy Middle, Reigniting Brands (COVID-19) - podcast episode cover

Somewhere in the Messy Middle, Reigniting Brands (COVID-19)

Jun 05, 202041 minSeason 2Ep. 4
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Episode description

Join us on Episode 4* of the second season of #LoudAndClear where Brand Planner Chris Owens pairs up with Chris Ferrel, Principal of Digital Strategy, who is no stranger to the show. They embark on a conversation about the role of ad agencies as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and as the United States struggles to open up for business. Currently, many brands have halted marketing efforts, while consumers are eager to keep living. This upheaval is happening in the context of social unrest triggered by racism and social division in America. How can ad agencies address not only brand needs, but also consumer needs in order to build a meaningful bridge between the two, while staying culturally relevant and useful?

* For context, this episode was recorded on May 20th, before George Floyd's unjust killing on May 25th

HOST:

Francisco Cardenas, Director of Digital Strategy at LERMA

GUESTS:

Chris Owens Brand Strategist at The Richards Group

Christopher Ferrel Principal of Digital and Social Strategy at The Richards Group

PRODUCER:

Rolf Ruiz Digital Strategist and Creative Technologist at LERMA

Transcript

Welcome to loud and clear on this. Now, the fourth episode of the second season of the larimar podcast podcast, created for people who give a shit about advertising. Today. We have Christopher Farrell who needs no introduction. He was one of our guests on previous episode, the role of ad agencies in the time of open them.

This time Chris is accompanied by another Chris, but Owens who is a brand strategist at the richest group, and I think ending for the group in general, delivering I open and inside for Brands and inspiring talks to the rest of us from time to time. I remember a couple of really good talk that I came out inspired by for those of you who follow the podcast. Mr. Owens is responsible for bringing Michael fan. Well, to talk with us about his stop making sense. Book a couple of episodes ago.

Thank you. Uh, Chris for that. And thank you both for being here. We are still recording this from the distance of our homes. And this time, exploring a new technology, which now allows us to see each other. Welcome guys. Thanks for having us. Yeah. Thank you by back. No, thank you. It's great to have you the last time it was the first week that the country was shutting down because of covid-19. And now, we're just looking back.

I can't believe that it was just yesterday that two months ago. When, when this episode came out, we've been on lockdown for two months. And this week, think seems, at least here in Texas, during the starting or intending to open up. There's been many covid industry reports. There's been brainstorms. There's been povs and some surviving campaigns that we could opening things up partially at least here. And we did promise that we were going to be back.

And here we are. We know what's going on the world, somehow somewhat, but do we know what's happening in? Sizing. What have we seen? Do we have a better definition of the role of Ad Agency after two months of being stuck into this. I think the only thing we know for sure is that nothing is the same as it was pre-pandemic crisper and I have talked a

bunch about this. I think we have to fully Embrace just how significantly businesses our customers and people have changed because of this whatever you thought was, right. Or upside down or left or right about your customer before the pandemic.

There's a good chance that it's totally different now and we'll be Christopher. I don't know if you want to touch on but this notion of pre-pandemic and post pandemic marketing might be an interesting starting point, regardless of what time it is, or what era we've been in there, you're always going to find a group of people, whether that be consumers or clients who just for whatever reason, nostalgic,

Lee loves the way things. Is to be and assume that there were some kind of stasis or normalcy that they could rely on and patterns that they could just kind of draft off of and always hope that things can just always be that way. And then there's always another group of people who are, like, sort of a creative destruction assists, who can't wait to say

everything's different. And we need to rebuild everything right now and, and then Anna, and you know, how how many times have we seen the book, you know, the end of advertising be published or something like that? Us and the death of this and the death of that and things up every generation wants to be the author of that book, right?

The same kind of I don't know tribal Tendencies or ideologies are just representing themselves here in the pandemic and that there's a lot of clients and consumers who just can't wait for things to get back to quote unquote normal. And they're willing to try and pantomime as much normalcy as possible in order to convince themselves.

That things are normal and there's There's another group who just can't wait to hit the reset button and get back up into his kind of startup mentality, but they were always that way, you know, and this is just gives them a new excuse to kind of play out these different ideologies that they have. And I think what Chris and I have talked a lot about is really where most everything then lands is kind of in the messy middle somewhere in-between those two opposite.

Polar valence is never really play out to the degree or to the Fidelity in which these people want them to but there's always Something, you know, in the middle, I think perhaps for a lot of people listening to this, you've on the left side of this, I kind of think. Well, not really left or right. I shouldn't put it that way, but on the side, who wishes things

could get get back to normal. You'll find that they're they have this kind of stop drop and roll approach to what to do right now, which is kind of like cut cancel or hold your media in your messaging, right? And they do. So the whole piece is the one that Sends me the most because hold waiting for what. Well, then they have to come up with some kind of metric or rash.

Chanel's to win. That might be when inevitably the whole country didn't shut down all at once, the whole country won't start back up all at once. So you're need to be more flexible and more Dynamic. And more adaptive has never been tested more than right now. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Right? Like when you see something coming in and I think we discussed this was like, dear. And a headlight, you don't know, really what to do when the sentiment of people in general is.

We know we've stopped because we have to, but there are certain things. We're still consuming, right? We're still consumers, were still leaving. We're still consuming entertainment. We're still having breakfast lunch and dinner. We're still laughing. We're still loving.

What's the role of Brands there, right and agencies, how can we I think the biggest challenge at least for me has been putting up in a very Rational way for clients that, it still makes sense to have an approach with consumers and that life goes on regardless and how do we reinvent if necessary their brand? But continue with the plan that probably was already there and just a lot of things have just accelerated like, e-commerce and certain things.

Yeah, feels like we're, we talk. So often about at least in the marketing world, the impact that covid-19. It has had on businesses, but I wish and perhaps the role of agencies is to push the conversation about People and just how significantly, this is impacted customers and consumer Behavior because the level of need that someone has today versus 10 weeks ago, is radically different.

The things that they want, more of the things that they want, less of the things that they want from businesses and things that I want less from businesses. That's a really good important starting point, because I keep be crisper brought it up this sort of desire to go back to normal, but I don't think there's any going back. What it was before the pandemic, I think they're certainly we're going to be human. We're still going to have all of the needs Francisco that you laid out.

But I think there's a new way of approaching how Brands can be most meaningful to people moving forward. And that's kind of this messy middle that that I think we need to embrace and figure out because, you know, if this is uncertain and chaotic, I mean, the natural tendencies. I want order in to want to restore some semblance of predictability. We see it everywhere. But I think right now they're just so many new places and spaces that people are trying to figure out.

And on top of that health and safety concerns, that just didn't exist in many pockets. At least in America eight to ten weeks ago. I wish we talk more about more about people is kind of, I think the role that agencies can do a lot more of. Yeah, I think that's almost all responsibility, right? Like to as agencies.

You know, we tend or the conversation is to look at Brands, but it's almost like we should be shifting or conversation of like you're saying to people so that were able to come up with Solutions and bring to the Brand's Solutions of what we're seeing as far as how people are behaving. A lot of this.

I'm curious to see what you guys are thinking, but we save The New Normal how things have changed, but a lot of this our behaviors that we had with technologies that were already available like, you know, the conference that we're now. Having or e-commerce or click and pick their certain things that were already there that with this, just kind of exponentially took took it to adoption in human behavior. What are you guys thinking there? There's a ton of stuff that's accelerated.

Adoption that, you know, we're already the seeds of we're in the making. I mean this exact meeting that we're having face-to-face on Microsoft teams, and we do it on zoom and it's just fascinating. See the rise of Technology. That's existed for years. Now all of a sudden Fully Embrace out of necessity. And I think on the other side, there's a rapid acceleration of cracks that already existed in various systems that are now even more apparent.

But I don't think many of the symptoms that the pandemic has. Highlighted our new there, just now more apparent, both both good and bad. Yeah, we always talk about particularly a strategist, you know, how about the importance of cultural relevancy and cultural currency? And Adding the Top Spin on this and that and you know that this is a cultural moment. I think that should go without saying but you start to find out how variable that is take.

For example videoconferencing. I mean, it's always been relevant for a number of reasons whether that be oh you can't pay for air travel or how do you stay more kind of ambiently or remotely connected to people? It's kind of some semblance of one-on-one but the cultural relevance when the culture shifts to pandemic culture. The relevant skyrockets. And so then there's also culturally relevant sites.

Where there are certain things that in fact had a lot more utility and usefulness pre-pandemic, and as that culture has shifted, then the amplitude of the relevancy is either gone up or down on things as culture. It goes to kind of shelter in place culture, you start to see these, you know, interesting little anomalies lets, you know, let's bake bread baked bread, all day and watch. Ouch, you know, docu-series and Animal Crossing and all this

stuff and things. Don't necessarily kind of hit that level at the amplitude. In free roam culture. Meanwhile, when you've got free roam culture, you see people almost like want to leave the home for home sake and just drastically want something different than what their what their yesterday was. Whether it's good for them or not. And thus, then other things start to kind of pop up and down and so these things are always changing. It just so happens that culture

has shifted so dramatically. At certain aspects of business technology client wants and needs products. And services, have either like totally benefited in ways that you would have never imagined or have just completely depleted past the point of efficacy or usefulness or profitability in ways that you would have never imagined. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think that so I highlight that. I don't know if you guys saw the Rene redzepi and Noma his restaurant in Copenhagen Michelin star.

Number one, restaurant in the world. Old for the past several years. They reopened but as a no reservation Burger Bar open to all individuals in Copenhagen that just need a burger and a beer. And so like I think just think about that for a moment, a 300 dollar a plate restaurant on top of the world reopens as a burger bar, those to me are the types of decisions that are actually the most meaningful and Powerful.

Of like, reimagining your brand and your business because the consumer need is different now, right? Talk about recognizing the perhaps you are now irrelevant and people thing the way you do business to become, you know to go from the relevant to relevant and the question of being irrelevant or being disruptive by tone-deaf, right? The sphere of actually putting your voice out there and not kidding. The Mark on tone and and just

being afraid. But what is the risk of being silent to write if this restaurant in Copenhagen, but mostly say, okay. Well, let's just wait and not do anything. Would it mean that the people they did right now with a burger and a beer that in the future? When things look at better and you have a better sense of where things are going, that they could not be. But again, to be that high end restaurant.

Yeah, and I think what I admire most about that decision is they didn't think about Starting. They thought about starting like they thought about launching a brand-new concept. Like it wasn't opening at limited capacity this and trying out their old price point and trying to figure out ways to fly in people that otherwise would be visiting their reservations in the past is like, no, we're going to be a very different concept right now, and I don't know.

The business was also that like, I don't know if it's been successful or not, but I think it's it takes Like that level of bravery and courage right now to, to help to move the world forward Francisco to your point. It's something. I thought of my team a bunch about but this is a time of fear and uncertainty and that's okay. That's totally normal, but fear and uncertainty does one of two things that forces a choice, you can either let it feel you or let it paralyze you.

And I think that's kind of the binary decision to be made right now. Yeah, it also kind of exposes some of the paralysis that already pre-existing. Whether they knew it or not, I mean, these giant monolithic companies with John and upfront, inflexible, media buys, or all contractually locked in with no agility whatsoever. And it exposed just, I think some of the inherent in flexibility of the old ways of going to Market.

If you don't learn the lesson from having much more flexible planning and being much more adaptive, with regards to, when and how to adapt your media and your message. I mean that should be one of the big takeaways and hopefully make

a lot of these more. Inflexible companies, a bit more yogic in their ability, to stretch our one of our media principles said the other day, you know, all media is local and this really exposes that given that every single dma and Market is at a different level of reopening and are closing or shut down based on all sorts of inevitable. Epidemiology. There's reasons as to why they're doing what they're doing. And then there's irrational reasons as to why they're doing

what they're doing. But all those things in affect the culture and those markets. So then if you're a brand who is important in those markets, what are you going to do to adapt to Market a versus B versus C? When all three are approaching it differently, culturally, or systematically, or governmentally? And if you only had one approach to them all together in aggregate, will, you can't turn that on across all of them now, right. So, you know how, How do you then?

Adjust and become much more flexible to adapt? So as opposed to just kind of waiting for things to get back to business, as normal for you to kind of Hit the same button. You've always hit to turn things on. It's it's that nice analogy with that, you know, that Scandinavian restaurant he referred to is that how do you, how do you reset certain aspects of your business? And you know, the ideas of like being agile and Nimble?

It almost had become cliche and just how advertising agencies and marketing plans kind of presented themselves. But now, that is kind of acutely out on point as to what companies and clients can and can't do right now. Yeah, we talked about the companies and clients. And normally we're like, well, they're not Nimble enough or they're very traditional in their media approach. But I think that has also kind of, we have got adopted that as well. Right?

Like, we've with adopted the passiveness, a like, waiting for a brief or things like that. And right now I think the approach is With them, especially that we have a point of view from the outside. Going back to the consumer on. How do you write a brief and how do you reinvent yourself? Right? We see ourselves at Lerma trying to have conversations with clients of the opportunities. We see in the short future and in the mid and long-term future,

right? Like if at least, speaking of povs, as we were talking at the beginning of the podcast, sending out povs, or actionable items that we see are opportunities. That, that could come to us. We've talked about Cinco de Mayo for the Hispanic. The Multicultural Market was right in the middle of the shutdown, right Cinco, de Mayo and some Brands took advantage of its own Brands. Didn't some Brands did it right?

And some Brands didn't do it as good, but nobody really burned themselves for having some sort of action out there and speaking to the consumer. While they're at home, trying to keep living and keep being happy with what they have, that side of Brands and companies of being kind of like trying to figure it out. I think. Need to play and super Vigor, roll on us, having conversations with them and showing those opportunities. Do you guys see that also happening?

I mean, from a brand planning perspective. I think that must be huge, right? Like, this is what consumers are doing and the opportunity and where you where we see you going. Yeah. I mean, I think kinds always appreciate whether they know it or not in the moment, a good sparring partner, a good Devil's Advocate to come in and kind of stress test their ideas. Has. I think we act as a check and balance to a lot of the things that they want to do and we see in the absence of checks and

balances. You can kind of convince yourself that this is what you need to do. And clients are using their agencies that way right now are perhaps getting far more value from those interactions than

they have in the past. Simply because the sheer amount of options of what to do, almost seem endless, depending on who you talk to. It's very easy to be the victim of your last conversation and alas, Libor news b or conference or whatever, you know, thing that you Picked up off the ticker thus being able to have more conversations to than way those different possibilities and realities because any one of those decisions could completely make or bake or break your

tomorrow. We need to have those that ability to kind of step in and we don't always know what's right and wrong. I mean, that's it. That's the one thing I can tell you that I've learned in 25 plus years of agency experience. But what I can tell you is that I would I would rather not try and strive to be perfectly, right. I would rather be useful.

That's what filter right to put. Yeah, and so and trying to just trying things and seeing what happens and learning from those things as opposed to waiting, so long for some giant monolithic solve and then enacting it by the time it's too late. And then and then you don't don't really know what what happened. So yeah, on my side, what I am noticing which is, just absolutely. Fascinating. Is for the past.

I don't know. 45. Years, at least in my career, this warm blanket that we call data has been the thing that drives a lot of decisions and that's perfectly understandable and will continue to play a role. However, in this moment right now, a lot of our data sources, I would say three quarters to ninety percent of our data sources. Are six to 12 months behind in terms of the The data that's reporting on consumers.

So what that means is it is not reflective of the pandemic and so we have we certainly do have some tools that let us see more real time. But I think we have to help our clients understand that they can't look at your every year stuff for. They can't. Look at you eight weeks ago was was day Zero, and that's kind of the new Benchmark that you kind of need to work against. And so, I think one other piece we can help our It's worth it.

Just help them understand which pieces of data are most valuable right now and which stuff. Frankly we maybe just throw out the window or set aside or at least just put in the back burner to not drive decisions. Like steak. For example, household income data that we might be getting from various Partners based on the unemployment rate. No longer good reduce wages. Like yeah, that that dated shit right now. That's so like we have to help paint that story. Like I attended it an awesome.

Even our yesterday on Zoom that the forays put on with Rashad. Tobacco Walla and he gave a lot of really awesome anecdotes. But yeah, his book you guys at restoring, the soul business will plug that. It's a good read. He he talks a lot of that book. Francisco about this need to strike a balance between the story and the spreadsheet.

And we've kind of lean too far into the spreadsheet to bring back that that Human Side. That's The the story side of what we do. And I feel like we can't talk about that enough because that's that's like such a huge machine ingredient right now. That's great. Yeah, there's going to be data points today that are like, you know, it's like a wine. That's too young. You know, it's we need to put that on the shelf for a couple

quarters or a year. And then only then can we go back and Trend that against historical data to see where these changes really happened. But right now it's just useless. So, let's let's go put that in the cellar and we'll wait, you know, what will give it a quarter bottle, turn every couple of weeks. But but but but meanwhile this thing right here is just kind of glowing red or blinking green.

And we really have to respond, you know, to this aspect of what's going on. Yeah, one of the pieces of research we did was look at Social conversation related to covid-19. And as you'd imagine at least here in the US, conversations fight massively. In the last week of March and early April, but week over week, since then it's actually decreased direct mentions of covid-19 and coronavirus and all related sort of mentioned shelter in place that sort of thing.

And so it's clear is that people are still thinking about covid-19. But there's other things that are filling their likes comments and shares and things they talked about directly. And so there's this interesting. A trend that we're seeing that, although it's clearly top of mind. That's that's that. It, datapoint doesn't suggest that it's not something that people are thinking about everyday or every hour every

minute, right? It's kind of creating this new opportunity from a conversation perspective about what does grab. I mean we've seen, you know, Tiger King in the early days of the pandemic and we've seen the Last Dance more recently. I mean, there's just a hunger for shared experiences. Right now, Travis Scott and Fortnight. I mean, there's just these massive moments that across the board whether his gaming or live

entertainment. We're seeing live streaming records being absolutely smashed. Incredible, heavy. Yeah, so there are data points that are pointing this whole new world and that's kind of The Perfect Storm of accelerate adoption of Technology. This void that people have the need to connect.

We are Human After All and then just this shared experiences that we can have, you know, Relations and whether that's around the the virtual water cooler or in other places, but that's just something really interesting that we're seeing unfold and I think will continue to be so I guess, I guess from from a human inside perspective, coffee is not immune to the fact that we get bored. Right? Right. And we want to move on.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's if if I were the virus that's how I would want my host populace to think and believe. How do I keep it covid? Is now thinking, how do I do have to keep relevant, right as people? Yeah, try to move on and forget them. Yeah. They're they're their strategic agency. Seems to be doing a pretty good job. That's right. How how do we see advertising agencies moving forward within the model? Know we I think I've heard several things like, obviously digital.

It's a huge thing. Like a lot of the resources that humans are or consumers are jumping into our digital. Put the model. Do you guys have any thoughts on how it's going to look in six months, a year of how we operate? And I think the best analogy I've heard it's been shared by a number of folks, but I first started from the governor of California. He talked about how this is not a light switch.

This is a dimmer that will solely be turning up and down in terms of level of restrictions placed with shelter in place. And so I think that is our best model to look at. And if we're being realistic, all the places that are quote reopening, it's only at 25 percent capacity allowed maximum. Most businesses can't sustain their pre-pandemic operations at 25 percent capacity. It's just not sustainable and even if we get to optimistically from an My perspective, 50% capacity.

That's still not all that great. And so that's the next 6 8, 10 12, maybe 18 months and I don't think we'll see any of that. Change until there is not just a vaccine, but a lot of distribution of said vaccine before we see a different kind of post pandemic. And so between now and then, I mean, we're talking about, I don't know, 10 to 18 months of this. What Kristen are calling the messy middle. And that's what we're going to.

Just be Trying to figure out is because how do you help a brand? If you're just talking about a business perspective and I'll bring in the plug for meeting consumer needs. But how do you find a way to provide an unmet need that can help float your business for the next 10 days, 18 months. We, that's the big question and something we should ask ourselves as and they as a business ourselves, right? Like, like as agencies, do we keep Nimble?

How do we keep flexible? How do we work with this dimmer? Or as as Chris Owens was put in it, was I thought it was interesting that Breakers, right? Going up and down, shutting up and down. And you know, you want to talk a little bit about that. Yeah. I mean, I think getting back to local store marketing and really appreciating the regional differences that that different consumer behaviors and different

kind of marketplaces present. I think it's going to be something a lot of agencies are We are focusing on right now. Some of them have been forced to focus on it. And I think, you know, that's where we will probably start to kind of drive, you know, even more recommendations toward, you know, whether it's the dimmer or the circuit breaker.

I think you know, dimmer is a great analogy if you think of the country as a whole but I think when you get down to these dma levels, there's going to be certain points where they decide they can reopen based on some kind of criteria. Huh, whether it's just the way they feel or whether it's science-based. And then there's going to be other breaking points where they're going to have to kind of re instant reinstate, kind of new criteria.

And and these things are going to be going up and down. Like I said kind of across the country at different intervals and different places. And so your ability to turn on One National message all at once. You're just going to be, you know, super Irrelevant in certain markets when you're saying, hey, come out and try and get this new. Thing. When in fact, you still have 70% of the population staying home.

I think relying on a lot of Mobility, indices and kind of Geo locational data where you can start to see, literally certain trade areas, open up and close down over time. Just based on the data that's being collected off of mobile

devices in aggregate. You're probably going to see a lot more planning that's going to be using that type of an of an indicator to determine Determine when to go on and off in the absence of that simply understanding what a government is telling their local population to do, actually isn't a good indicator of what that populations actually doing for your point. I think this week, I was looking at some more listening to some maths and they're already speaking like this has passed, right?

The, the welcome back. And at least from my moods, I didn't feel I was connecting with that, but it's exactly what you're saying right as a consumer. That's how I felt it. And I think those are the decisions that get made over. Zoom calls in comfortable shelter in place settings at without an appreciation. For the individuals that are forced to go to work whether it's because they're an essential worker.

They're working in healthcare or they just are simply trying to find new ways to provide for their families. So I think there's a lot of need to To have discussion about the, I mean the trend that we're calling a shelter and privilege but his talk a lot about how there's so many large pockets and populations and individuals that are in very different places that that their biggest need is not which office chair. Should I task desk chair. Should I buy for my home office?

But you know, I just got laid off or I just lost half my shifts, what I'm going to do now. I mean, those are those are some very Very real needs that people have right now and so many of our Brands provide products and services that those individuals rely on or at least would be receptive to. And so I think those yeah to your point that the ads that make it seem like this is over or so off there. So it's and that's why it's so

important. What? Mr. Roland saying is really look at a local from a local point of view and be able to be, you know, play with the reality of Of that of that market, right? It's crazy. Yeah, the shelter in privilege knowing that only 20 percent are living this pandemic. Like probably owes three, right? Like with some meetings and working from home and other ones there. So most of the people really have to go out there and hustle, and still risk.

That's, that's an inherent danger in itself. If you think about, you know, are, you know, the penetration of people are in that shelter, in privileged population? It's a lot of our clients and guess what? It's us. And so, you know, we're back in our own little Echo chamber. Talking about, you know, what the rest of the world is thinking and are feeling when in a lot of instances, you know, it couldn't be more starkly different and and guess what? It's always kind of been that

way. Anyway, I mean, yeah, agency industry culture, and client, corporate marketing culture has always in some ways, kind of obscenely prided the sense in which it acts and behaves sort of differently. Assuming smartphone versus people know it's an example. Right? Right.

So so, you know again, it's just taking a, you know, something that's already existed in Amplified, it and just kind of kind of dial it up. So our need to try and pay attention to what, you know, what's going on, you know, to to mr. Farrell's point with with the real people, you know, are are feeling, you know, consumers have always been real people, you know.

Whenever we started to think of them as just some kind of just wallet to robber or mouth to fill, you know, that's when we've we've taken a step too far. And I think the sensitivity to that right now is should probably much much higher than than it's ever been, for obvious reasons. Yeah, talk of national message.

Mr. Owens. You were talking about natural message and help to local life at some point where you know that YouTube video that has the analysis of All Brands, you know, they I mean, of the covid, message with the piano. What did you guys think about that? And yeah, that's so, you know, was there an unmet need for melancholic, you know, piano ballots that, you know, the industry collectively tried to deliver against me.

That's been. Yeah. It's been kind of the, we've been though sort of the, but of the pop cultural, you know, washing machine cycle right now, about how things are happening. And I think, you know, in terms of sort of pallets of responses, whenever I go back to, you know, what it was like working agency, post 9/11 to the recession. Etc. There's always been this.

Well, do we become kind of somber and humble or do we become, you know, uplifting and motivational and or do we risk becoming Pollyanna all then we default back to the, to the humble and and so, you know, that's that's something that I think everybody wants it. A certain level. It's just do you need it in Mass. So carbon copied from one spot to the next while you're trying to escape and enjoy your, you know, the voice or whatever it is that you know, you know, you're watching.

I mean people need that true at a human one-to-one level and they want to hear that from their peers and their friends and their families. But when that becomes this, this kind of giant shout from all the different National marketers that you all at once, really does start to He'll disingenuous

very quickly. I mean American consumers in particular of always had a love-hate relationship with advertising in general and thus you know again just throw another another wound or scab perhaps kind of made fresh. Once again like Chris like, mr. Farrell said one time in the presentation is nobody gets up in the morning excited about what they're going to see that they, right. Yeah. So do you guys have any closing? Thoughts that you guys would like to leave the audience.

Well, I'll just, you know, I think messy middle has probably a point that we made a quite well here, both in our conversation and points. And it's clear that you know, there is no certainty on a lot of things. And and I think think we Embrace that and and and just recognize we need to take it day by day and look at everything that we have in front of us and make the best decisions possible, but you know in doing so trying to resist the simple kind of bye.

Very responsive, just do it the old-fashioned way. It's all really in in respect of that and knowing that we aren't in control of everything. Never have been, never will be, but our clients are paying us to be in control or some semblance of control of how their budgets and creative resources are

spent. So to that degree are coping strategies, really are looking in front of us and seeing what what we think is right and and then presenting it and trying it and then testing it and measuring it. And proving. It and and just keep on iterating. Mr. Farrell. Yeah, I'll first answer your question about the covid-19 impact report. So it's our second edition.

If anyone's interested in it. I think the easiest way to get a copy is to send me a message at my Twitter profile at Chris Farrell. Chrisser71 copy there on SlideShare. If you prefer a PDF copy I can send you that link to the They'll think we're trying to do is turn that into a newsletter. Again. If you're interested, we'll give you the means to sign up for that. Give a little more commentary And Timely news and notes. And then, yeah, I guess closer.

No marks message. I left with our digital strategy team last week against all share with the listeners right now.

There's been a lot of really tough unfortunate events that have happened and you know, we've laughed during this conversation, but I think to bring some seriousness to the discussion that the changes that have happened across so many areas of our world and has impacted individuals from a personal standpoint, professional standpoint, you know, it is cause understandably, a lot of frustration, a lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty, but on an

optimistic note of how we might turn the page, my grandpa who's no longer with us, but he I grew up in Nebraska where I'm from has some words of wisdom to help help us. Maybe turn a page and start to look forward. And he said, Chris never let a hangover last more than a day. That is excellent. And so I think in his sense minute, I think the only way we can move forward is making that decision that I kind of brought up earlier that choice really of

either. Let the fair fear and uncertainty paralyze you or let it feel. All you then. So I hope we have enough people in our industry that that find Hope and inspiration and and the only way we get better as a society is to help hopefully make some positive decisions and meet those unmet needs of real people of consumers. And that's the way that our brand the business will get back to positive economic growth, but more importantly, a better better World, hopefully, so I

guess I'll Even on that cool. No, I love it. So you mentioned your social handles. I think you also mentioned on the past on the past episode. But mr. Owens. Do you know do you have any any place where people can follow you or reach out to you and social media in case they have any further questions. Yeah. I've been stuck super open on Facebook. Actually, you don't just have to be my friend. I have tons of students and Industry.

People have kept up with for, for forever and that's probably where I'm most. Active. And so in which then I'm fairly easy to find, Christopher Owens and the one that's working at the Richard's group cool. And so yeah, share things there, you know, that our had certainly been pertinent to this to this conversation as much as people can do if they can open up and talk about the situations that they're in professionally or personally and realize.

And recognize that there are a lot of other people out there in the exact same situation, and simply have a chance to You're each other out on how you're dealing with that. That one simple little little act I think provides as much pain relief and hope and inspiration or I'd kick in the ass as you probably need. You just need to be reaching out for it and and listening, you know, nobody ever learned with their mouths. Open something I once heard.

And so, you know your chance to be able to kind of listen and take in other points of view and processing. All I think now are probably if you can if you've always been able to do that. Batman, you're ahead of the game. But if you have it now is the time to really exercise and practice that. I think that's beautiful and I think it would be beautiful. If Wireless company would take on that message of listening and talking which is the greatest power.

They have a lot of them are focused on networks right now and 5 G, but that's just the such a simple message that it could really come good for the world. So thank you Kris Kris and Kris, Kristofferson and Chris. This has been loud and clear the podcast, the for people who give a shit about advertising. My name is Francisco Cardenas. I am a digital strategist at Lerma. Please listen to us on Spotify, Apple podcast, Google or

whatever. You listen to your podcast and you can comment on up a apple podcast. Subscribe. Tell us what you think. And we'll be on the lookout. We have some special guests coming from Nike to see how they have handled. Add the pandemic from within the company and we're excited to share that here soon. I really appreciate the presence and I enjoy a lot working with you guys week over week. So I thank you very much. Yeah, likewise having us.

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